Option-Shift-, (Comma) in Final Cut Pro: Nudge an Audio Edit Point Left 10 Subframes

Keyboard shortcut: OptionShiftComma

The Option-Shift-, (Comma) shortcut in Final Cut Pro is Nudge Audio Subframe Left Many. It nudges the selected audio edit point to the left by 10 subframes, creating a split edit. It works on an edit point, not on a whole clip.

What's a Subframe?

Video edits happen on whole frames, but audio can be adjusted far more finely. Final Cut Pro divides each frame into 80 audio subframes, so 10 subframes is one eighth of a frame. That's small enough to tighten a cut on a word or breath without moving the picture at all.

Why It Creates a Split Edit

When you move only the audio part of an edit point, the audio and video no longer change at the same moment. That's a split edit. Here the audio moves slightly earlier than the video cut.

How to Use It

  1. Select the clips on either side of the cut and press Control-S to expand their audio.
  2. Zoom in on the edit point so you can see the waveforms clearly.
  3. Select the audio edit point (for example, press Shift-\ to select both audio edges of the edit).
  4. Press Option-Shift-Comma. The audio edit moves left by 10 subframes.
  5. Repeat until it sounds right, then play across the cut to check.

Tips

  • Use it to clip off the start of a breath, a click, or a pop at a cut without trimming a whole frame of video.
  • The matching command for the other direction is Nudge Audio Subframe Right Many. Open the Command Editor (Option-Command-K) and search for "subframe" to see all of the subframe nudge commands and their keys.
  • For bigger moves, use Comma and Period, which nudge by whole frames.

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